740 estate rear suspension.

[swedish brick]

Hi guys,

Just after opinions and a bit of expert knowledge about rear suspension. My car is an 88 740 2.3 GLE estate.
Currently it's fitted with a set of Monroe self levelling shocks and a pair of coil springs. When I got the car the rear end was sitting very low, this means it's extremely soft suspension and it looks rather odd, almost like the rear suspension has collapsed!
So, I've found the Monroe pressure gauge in the boot and pumped it up. Problem solved! The suspension rises up and all looks well.
Problem is now I've left it sitting a while with pressure in it, the gauge is very slowly falling so it's looking like I've got a leak somewhere.

All this stuff is now very old and tbh my preferred solution is to rip it all out and replace with new.

So, what's best to replace all this self levelling stuff with?
I'm not interested in 'performance' or adjustable but I'd prefer to use good quality.
Can I just use standard shocks to replace the self levellers?
Do I need to replace the springs and the shocks together? As I gather sometimes with these self levelling systems the springs are also different to standard?
I don't even know if the Monroe stuff is still available anymore?

[classicswede]

You can still get air shocks.

Depending on how you use the car as to if it would be best to fit new air shocks or change to normal shocks and springs

[swedish brick]

Originally Posted by classicswede

You can still get air shocks.

Depending on how you use the car as to if it would be best to fit new air shocks or change to normal shocks and springs

Thanks,
To be honest I don't use the car all that much, and it's rarely used for any heavy work.

Replacing like for like would be my first choice. Do you know anywhere to get the air shocks? Presumably they would need to be Monroe? A complete kit with the gauge and pipes would be ideal...

[barkster1971]

The leak is probably from the pipe work which is easily replaced. I have some spare somewhere.

[swedish brick]

Originally Posted by barkster1971

The leak is probably from the pipe work which is easily replaced. I have some spare somewhere.

Most probably. I'll try to get the car up on the jack soon and try smearing some washing up liquid around it, see if any bubbles show anywhere.

Weirdly, the pressure has stopped dropping now. It's been sat most of the day with pressure in the system now.
The car had been sat off the road for nearly two years before I recommissioned it early this year and the air suspension was left without any pressure in it. Maybe now I've actually put some air into it it's just needed to settle a bit? Possibly why the pressure seemed to drop to start.

This is the same system I've got fitted;



I can't find new parts or the whole kit available anywhere.

[Laird Scooby]

I had that Monroe system on one of my 740GLE estates, worked well but had to be pumped up after loading anything heavy. Got to the point where i left it a bit higher pressure than needed for normal and put up with it being bouncy on the back end.

As far as i'm aware the Monroe system was discontinued several years ago, if you go for standard shocks you'll need the standard springs too. I fitted new shocks and springs on all 4 corners of mine for about £125 so it's not a bank breaker and it transforms the car.

[swedish brick]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I had that Monroe system on one of my 740GLE estates, worked well but had to be pumped up after loading anything heavy. Got to the point where i left it a bit higher pressure than needed for normal and put up with it being bouncy on the back end.

As far as i'm aware the Monroe system was discontinued several years ago, if you go for standard shocks you'll need the standard springs too. I fitted new shocks and springs on all 4 corners of mine for about £125 so it's not a bank breaker and it transforms the car.

I'd thought that might be the case! So if it's discontinued finding spares or a new kit is likely to be very difficult.

I checked the car this morning and it's definitely losing pressure, slowly, but it's doing it.
For now I'm going to just keep topping the pressure up as required but I think I'll have to get some standard parts long term.

Will I definitely need springs aswel as shocks then? I guess the ones I have now are softer springs?

[Laird Scooby]

The springs fitted to cars with self-leveling rear suspension are softer and longer travel to allow the Boge-Nivomats movement to build up pressure to get the ride height back to about 30mm below normal when fully loaded.

To my mind that's not self-leveling as it should return the car to the correct ride height but apparently that's the spec of them, can't remember where i found it though.

Anyway, with standard shocks, they end up overworked because of the extra travel and softness of the springs so they need the standard springs to make sure they last and work correctly. Just replacing them on mine increased the ride height about 30mm on the back end because the old stuff was so tired! Improved the road manners and noise levels too, the suspension, back axle, propshaft etc is now at the correct height so no weird UJ angles within the prop and so on.

Ebay was where i found my springs and shocks, have a look and if you can't find them let me know and i'll go through my purchase history to see if i can find them.

[swedish brick]

Thanks!

I've found these springs: http://www.partsforvolvosonline.com/...oducts_id=3690

And these shocks:
http://www.partsforvolvosonline.com/...oducts_id=3538

Should be ok?

I was looking at the Nivomat shocks earlier. God they're expensive!! I don't think I'll be upgrading to them.

[Laird Scooby]

I think it's safe to say the price of Nivomats is truly "shocking"!

What you've found should be fine but here are the springs i fitted to mine :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fit-with-V...cAAOSwzgRW0C7k

Couldn't find the shocks listed (KYB Premium) but found the Sachs ones a fair bit cheaper for you :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLVO-740-...cAAOSwfVpYvE8v

Don't be put off by the sellers screen name, the items are genuine or at least the bits i've bought from them have been.

That said i've never had a problem with bits from PFV either, just these are cheaper for similar springs and same shocks. Don't forget it's unit pricing so you need to order 2 of each - the difference suddenly becomes a lot more!

You will find the old springs (for the Nivos) are a lot longer than the new ones - don't worry, once the new springs are on with the new shocks, everything should be fine. You'll probably need to readjust your headlamp aim as bringing the back end up will put the headlamp aim in the worms eyes!